Typically, mail and messaging servers, such as Exchange servers associated with Outlook® mail and messaging application (available from the Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington) require deployment of numerous scripts to manage the configuration of such servers. In general, the numerous scripts required to manage configuration of mail and messaging servers do not function in unison, i.e., one specific script is executed to change one specific setting, while another specific script is executed to change another specific setting and so on.
Moreover, the deployment of such scripts is typically conducted manually, which is a labor intensive process exasperated, by the fact, that mail servers have a large volume of settings within the operating system and require the user to manipulate registry files, configuration files and the like to implement rec-configuration of settings.
Mail application settings may change either intentional or unintentional. Intentional changes to mail application settings may occur, manually, at the discretion of a user. Unintentional changes to mail applications settings may occur in response to system reconfiguration, such as deployment of a system patch or the like, which may configure application settings back to default or the like.
In addition, current methodologies for managing the configuration of mail and messaging servers do not provide for means to track compliance (i.e., providing an auditable trail to subsequently demonstrate that a mail server was compliant).
Therefore, a need exists to develop systems, apparatus, computer program products, methods and the like that efficiently identify non-compliances (i.e., erroneous settings) in live electronic mail (email) servers and either automatically correct the non-compliance or provide a user the ability to authorize automated correction of the non-compliance. Desired systems, apparatus, computer program products, methods and the like should allow for dynamic configuration management, such that changes to settings and the like and can be made on-the-fly without having to effect changes to computer application code. In addition, the desired systems, apparatus, computer program products, methods and the like should provide the ability to customize the configuration of all mail and messaging servers throughout an enterprise, taking into account the unique environment of each enterprise. Moreover, the desired systems, apparatus, computer program products, methods and the like should provide for reports that indicate the results of such systematic checks for setting compliance and, thus, provide an auditable trail to verify compliance.